#the100dayproject : Inspiring Women Days 1

#the100dayproject : Inspiring Women Days 1 - 4

#The100DayProject is a free global art project that takes place online 🎨

Every year, thousands of people all around the world commit to 100 days of creating. Anyone can participate .

The idea is simple: choose a creative project, do it every single day for 100 days, and document and share the process online.

2026 is my 8th year of participating. I have stitched daily observations, painted my egg cup collection, collaged postcards and envelopes, written poems, explored colour palettes .... this year I am researching, sketching and stitching 100 inspiring women.

Fortunately I purchased a piece of beautiful linen, with preprinted outlines of 100 women ... just one issue - the figures are tiny (height 6cm /2.5 ins)

My first week started tentatively ... I thought I would start with Empress Wu, after whom I named my creative activity. This is when I discovered how difficult it is to applique and stitch on these very small figures - I used tweezers to put pieces of fabric down, tried to blanket stitch around the pieces and felt I was going blind in the process.

It could only get better ?

Day 2 - It helped that I chose Ruth Williams Khama, a brave Englishwoman who married Seretse Khama , heir to the throne of Bechuanaland ( see the movie "A United Kingdom). She and her husband defied opposition from both their families and the British and South African governments to establish eventually an independent Botswana. Lady Khama's legacy " extends beyond the borders of Botswana , in a model of harmony which exposed the injustices of apartheid and colonial rule" . The dress was a simpler design and it meant fewer very tiny bits of fabric and I even managed to stitch some sort of leafy pattern on the skirt ....

Day 3 was a surprise choice - I happened to read " who was born today" and Ettie Rout appeared - a little known World War 1 nurse , shunned by her own country New Zealand but celebrated in France as a hero for her working to prevent sexually transmitted disease amongst serving soldiers. This was the day I began to doubt if I would ever make it to day 100 .... a hat and a 2 piece outfit which measured about 4cm /1.5 ins!

From the dull "brown/beige" to the brightest colours of Yayoi Kusama on day 4. This was relatively easy - just coloured polka dots for which Kusama is most well known...

So far this has to be one of the most challenging projects, but also one with many more layers to it ... will I manage to research, sketch and stitch for the rest of the 100 days?

Follow each day on Facebook or Instagram

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks .... The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or my husband or from off cuts gifted to us from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks. Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as w...

Meditations on Mercator

‘ The Timelessness of Stitch’ was an invitational group exhibition at Timeless Textiles Gallery, Newcastle NSW , 1 April – 10 May 2026 …. Across generations and cultures, the act of stitching has woven together stories, traditions and identities. Each thread carries not only aesthetic value but also the memories and emotions of those who crafted it, demonstrating how this simple act transcends time and place. I was honoured and humbled to be amongst the twenty-three artists (national and international) participating in this exhibition. My small installation took some time to develop…. Although I knew about this exhibition for some time, I kept procrastinating, going from one idea to another and not settling on any. Recently, I came across the word “mercator” and while a vague notion of maps was recalled, I really needed to research. Besides the modern commercial connections, Mercator has its origins in cartography, which Is often a source of inspiration for my ...

Wednesday's Child /2

Work in Progress - 3 of the 193 for "Stitched Up"- Wilma Simmons The work for the "Stitched Up " Project continues. See the previous "Wednesday Child" post for the background to this art project celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Newcastle Industrial School. I have been documenting the progress of my work, so I thought it might be interesting to share some of the early stages of the "stick dolls" ... Here are some of the beginning steps.. Sticks collected while walking the bushland in my neighbourhood Drying and getting rid of any insects - oven heat 75 degreesC for approx 1-2 hours. Trimmed and cut if necessary Ends sealed with matte sealing solution. Drying - solution goes on white but dries clear. First wrapping - foil to create a body shape Second wrapping - stretch fabric. Third wrapping - fabric strips Some stitching - more stitching and embellishment to ...

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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